Hegseth Admits He Doesn’t Know What Authority Trump Is Using To Deploy Troops

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan CaineWASHINGTON ― Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth testified in Congress on Tuesday that he did not know what legal authority his boss was using to deploy troops to suppress protests in Los Angeles against deportation raids, but he was certain President Donald Trump had it.“What’s the justification for the military for civilian law enforcement purposes in LA?” California Democratic Representative Peter Aguilar asked. “Why are you sending war fighters to cities to interact with civilians?”He then asked Hegseth which of the three reasons listed in the law that permits US troops to deploy domestically Trump was citing. Federal law says a president can federalize a state’s National Guard units if the country is invaded, if there is a “rebellion or danger of rebellion,” or if the president cannot execute the laws of the United States.“I don’t know. You just read it yourself, and people can listen themselves,” said Hegseth, whose last job before his appointment to run the Pentagon was as a weekend host at Fox News. “But it sounds like all three to me. If you’ve got millions of illegals and you don’t know where they’re coming from, they’re waving flags from foreign countries and assaulting police officers and laws.”Hegseth had previously testified that 21 million migrants had illegally entered the country during former President Joe Biden’s term. It is unclear where that figure comes from.When Aguilar pointed out that the law requires a state governor to request troops, which California’s governor had not done, Hegseth answered: “You and I both know that Trump has all the authorities necessary, and thankfully, he’s willing to on behalf of the citizens of Los Angeles, on behalf of our base agents, and behalf of our country.”California Governor Gavin Newsom (Democrat) has sued Trump and Hegseth for deploying some 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles illegally.A Pentagon finance officer at the hearing told House members that the deployment would cost $134 million, which is coming from defense operations and maintenance accounts.Related...Trump Mocked After Suffering Awkward Brain Fart While Trying To Insult BidenHillary Clinton Exposes Trump’s Narcissistic Motive For Sending Troops To LADoechii Blasts Trump’s ‘Ruthless’ Deployment Of Military Against Protesters In BET Awards Speech

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